Foxfire 5,   ISBN:9780385143080

Customer Rating: 

This book was OUTSTANDING!!! It gave a brief history of making iron
from iron ore (smelting/forging) and it also delved into blacksmithing
to a large extent. It was chock fulla goodies. I love the folklore books
anyhow and this was right up my alley.

Customer Rating: 

As one reviewer has pointed out, there are more words in this one, and less pictures than previous works. This work, Volume V, is like the others. A wonderful history of how it was. In this day and age of having most needs meet and something for everyone on the Wal-mart shelf, we tend to forget just what it was like in our not too distant past. These books, the Foxfire books, brings to light skills, attitudes and a way of life that is all but forgotten. This is a good thing. When a people lose their history, they lose part of their soul. As the title of this work states, from blacksmithing to rain making,this work addresses many of the old forgotten skills and there is so much more. The editors have done a wonderful job. They have made a very honest effort to replicate the dialect of those places and times and I feel that this is a big part of the charm of these books. I am old enough to have known many of the kinds of folks featured in these books, being only one generation past them, and have a great appreciation for what and how they did all the little things we take so for granted now. I might also suggest that you actually try some of the things mentioned in these volumes. It will give you even more of an appreciation for what they did, and hey, who knows, the skill you develope just might come in handy one of these days! Recommend this and the other Foxfire books highly.

Customer Rating: 

The information contained within Foxfire 5 has come in handy for Duane many a times for learning how to do stuff. Most of the old methods are now lost to the current generation of Americans. It is a good reference for someone who wants to learn hands-on skills, such as blacksmithing and other independent living skills.

Customer Rating: 

There are some good pictures of gun smiths in this book, performing various techniques. Also a pretty good history of gun smiths, if that sort of thing interests you. The guns they show are flint lock.

The black smithing, horse shoeing and iron making are pretty slim. How to make a horse shoe, cow bell, and stove poker are about it. They discuss how they rebuilt the iron furnace, but not how to use it.

I would recommend this book only to black powder gunsmiths, or those interested in rifle history.

Customer Rating: 

If you enjoy the Appalachian culture, you'll love the FOXFIRE books. Volume No. 5 covers bear hunting, blacksmithing and gun making. If you've never read these books, it may be difficult, since the text is written in the vernacular of the mountain folk, but this adds to the charm and "character" of the books. The bear hunting stories wer entertaining, but I really enjoyed reading about Hacker Martin and Hershall House. If you want to know how life really was in the Smokey Mountains, read this book.